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  3. I looked askance at the idea of 'personal' 3d printers until ...

I looked askance at the idea of 'personal' 3d printers until ...

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  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

    To be useful as a home printer, they need to be able to make a spanner that can undo "that nut right there" (like the one between the cylinders of a Norton Commando), or something that has conductors and insulators, switches, clear patches for LEDs, small matrix keyboards... At the moment, they are a gimmick like the first home printers were (noisy, slow, poor quality output - you remember what early dot matrix jobbies were like). Their time will come - but they just aren't there yet.

    Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

    W Offline
    W Offline
    Weylyn Cadwell
    wrote on last edited by
    #10

    For the average person, they are kind of a gimmick. I have worked with them personally (although it was a terrible printer from a terrible company) and I loved the thing. I was able to make quick fabrications (rather than sending them off to be physically made, which could take weeks to get it sent over). The price range is just still too much for the quality, but I can't wait till I can have one to use at home for random things.

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    • M Marc Clifton

      BillWoodruff wrote:

      Here comes a future I can't imagine I need

      Death??? ;) Marc

      Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!

      B Offline
      B Offline
      BillWoodruff
      wrote on last edited by
      #11

      Marc Clifton wrote:

      Death??? ;)

      Not yet ! :wtf:

      «I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center» Kurt Vonnegut.

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • M Marc Clifton

        BillWoodruff wrote:

        Here comes a future I can't imagine I need

        Death??? ;) Marc

        Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!

        B Offline
        B Offline
        BillWoodruff
        wrote on last edited by
        #12

        Marc Clifton wrote:

        Death??? ;)

        Too early to say. :wtf:

        «I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center» Kurt Vonnegut.

        1 Reply Last reply
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        • B BillWoodruff

          I saw this video of GlowForge: [^]; company site: [^]. I think that's a very cool device ... which I will never own, but ... I recall when the first Apple LaserWriter that the public could rent time on appeared at Krishna Copy in Berkeley, California, in late 1985. The LaserWriter sold for US $2500 then, which I estimate would be equivalent to around 4K US $ today, the future full-price of the GlowForge printer Within a month, I started my first company, 'Technical Document Design,' got lucky, bagged a major client who was willing pay premium for fast turn-around graphics production. Created designs in MacDraw, printed them on the LaserWriter, had a local plate-maker/photographer turn them into 8 inch by 10 inch film transparencies for overhead-projector display. Four months later I could actually buy my own LaserWriter, but I'll never forget the days at Krishna Copy's "laser parlour" [1] where stoned-out hippies mixed with yuppies (imagine patchouli, sandalwood, with top notes of Old Spice and Bay Rum), and children, and dogs, were often found under the tables holding the LaserWriters :) So, perhaps it is the prerogative of being older (but not wiser) to yawn, and say: "Here comes a future I can't imagine I need" ? cheers, Bill [1] I take credit for coining the term "laser parlour," which actually got some usage in Cult-of-the-Mac circles and media.

          «I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center» Kurt Vonnegut.

          D Offline
          D Offline
          den2k88
          wrote on last edited by
          #13

          When they will cost substantially less and the printing materials too, I'll buy one. I'll just wait for a easy 3D designing tool (I'm no designer nor artist) because I'd like to make my own miniatrues for D&D games - the original ones suck a lot, not even one gets close to my idea of what the PG should be.

          GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver "When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey

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          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

            I can't - at the moment - see any reason why I'd want or need a current-generation 3D printer. Maybe when the printed material is a little more robust, or the print speed is in minutes rather than hours. And when colours, textures, and "flexibility" can be manufactured in instead of just "almost hard" and "nothing". But then of course, they will sell like hot cakes to the people who currently like their ladies inflatable... :laugh:

            Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

            N Offline
            N Offline
            Nagy Vilmos
            wrote on last edited by
            #14

            OriginalGriff wrote:

            I can't - at the moment - see any reason why I'd want or need a current-generation 3D printer.

            Unless of course you need a new car[^] :-D

            veni bibi saltavi

            OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • N Nagy Vilmos

              OriginalGriff wrote:

              I can't - at the moment - see any reason why I'd want or need a current-generation 3D printer.

              Unless of course you need a new car[^] :-D

              veni bibi saltavi

              OriginalGriffO Offline
              OriginalGriffO Offline
              OriginalGriff
              wrote on last edited by
              #15

              A couple of things here: 1) I can't afford its fuel consumption. 2) It'd be a bugger to park at Tescos. 3) No room for the shopping. 4) No room for Herself (which may be counted as an advantage from time to time, I'll admit). 5) There may be a few small components there that they didn't 3D print.

              Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

              "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
              "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • B BillWoodruff

                I saw this video of GlowForge: [^]; company site: [^]. I think that's a very cool device ... which I will never own, but ... I recall when the first Apple LaserWriter that the public could rent time on appeared at Krishna Copy in Berkeley, California, in late 1985. The LaserWriter sold for US $2500 then, which I estimate would be equivalent to around 4K US $ today, the future full-price of the GlowForge printer Within a month, I started my first company, 'Technical Document Design,' got lucky, bagged a major client who was willing pay premium for fast turn-around graphics production. Created designs in MacDraw, printed them on the LaserWriter, had a local plate-maker/photographer turn them into 8 inch by 10 inch film transparencies for overhead-projector display. Four months later I could actually buy my own LaserWriter, but I'll never forget the days at Krishna Copy's "laser parlour" [1] where stoned-out hippies mixed with yuppies (imagine patchouli, sandalwood, with top notes of Old Spice and Bay Rum), and children, and dogs, were often found under the tables holding the LaserWriters :) So, perhaps it is the prerogative of being older (but not wiser) to yawn, and say: "Here comes a future I can't imagine I need" ? cheers, Bill [1] I take credit for coining the term "laser parlour," which actually got some usage in Cult-of-the-Mac circles and media.

                «I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center» Kurt Vonnegut.

                C Offline
                C Offline
                ClockMeister
                wrote on last edited by
                #16

                BillWoodruff wrote:

                So, perhaps it is the prerogative of being older (but not wiser) to yawn, and say: "Here comes a future I can't imagine I need" ?

                That really is compelling technology Bill but, like you, I don't see what I'd use it for. I can see how someone who is inclined toward doing crafts might want one, though. I dunno; I've got a MacBook Pro here in my lab that could use a little embellishment! Think I ought to buy in so I can pretty it up? ;-)

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • B BillWoodruff

                  I saw this video of GlowForge: [^]; company site: [^]. I think that's a very cool device ... which I will never own, but ... I recall when the first Apple LaserWriter that the public could rent time on appeared at Krishna Copy in Berkeley, California, in late 1985. The LaserWriter sold for US $2500 then, which I estimate would be equivalent to around 4K US $ today, the future full-price of the GlowForge printer Within a month, I started my first company, 'Technical Document Design,' got lucky, bagged a major client who was willing pay premium for fast turn-around graphics production. Created designs in MacDraw, printed them on the LaserWriter, had a local plate-maker/photographer turn them into 8 inch by 10 inch film transparencies for overhead-projector display. Four months later I could actually buy my own LaserWriter, but I'll never forget the days at Krishna Copy's "laser parlour" [1] where stoned-out hippies mixed with yuppies (imagine patchouli, sandalwood, with top notes of Old Spice and Bay Rum), and children, and dogs, were often found under the tables holding the LaserWriters :) So, perhaps it is the prerogative of being older (but not wiser) to yawn, and say: "Here comes a future I can't imagine I need" ? cheers, Bill [1] I take credit for coining the term "laser parlour," which actually got some usage in Cult-of-the-Mac circles and media.

                  «I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center» Kurt Vonnegut.

                  M Offline
                  M Offline
                  Member 2555006
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #17

                  Your subject line shows your knowledge of the subject. It's a laser engraver/cutter not a 3d printer.

                  M 2 Replies Last reply
                  0
                  • M Member 2555006

                    Your subject line shows your knowledge of the subject. It's a laser engraver/cutter not a 3d printer.

                    M Offline
                    M Offline
                    Mike Marynowski
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #18

                    Actually that's the nomenclature that the company itself used in the title of their video and website.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • M Member 2555006

                      Your subject line shows your knowledge of the subject. It's a laser engraver/cutter not a 3d printer.

                      M Offline
                      M Offline
                      Mike Marynowski
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #19

                      Actually that's the nomenclature that the company itself used in the title of their promo video.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                        I can't - at the moment - see any reason why I'd want or need a current-generation 3D printer. Maybe when the printed material is a little more robust, or the print speed is in minutes rather than hours. And when colours, textures, and "flexibility" can be manufactured in instead of just "almost hard" and "nothing". But then of course, they will sell like hot cakes to the people who currently like their ladies inflatable... :laugh:

                        Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

                        H Offline
                        H Offline
                        Harley L Pebley
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #20

                        If you have a dual-head extruder, you can do hard and flexible printing in the same object. For an example, check out some of the stuff James at xrobots.co.uk[^] does with a combination of ABS and ninjaflex. With multi-head extruders, you can do different colors in the same print too.

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